The Minority in Parliament is mobilizing a broad-based coalition to put pressure on the government to withdraw the Public Holidays Amendment Act currently before the House.
The amendment, which was laid before the House on Thursday, if accepted, will see August 4 and January 7 made statutory public holidays to mark Founders’ Day and Constitution Day respectively.
This is according to Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who says the latest amendment amounts to a disrespect to the legacy of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president, hence their resistance.
The North Tongu MP, in a Citi News interview said the minority will vehemently resist the attempt by government to have the holidays changed.
“It is important to serve notice to the government that the Ghanaian people will not be insulted. Our history will not be revised. We will not accept this fascist, familiar attempt to revise the history of our country. President Akufo-Addo should know that he is really playing with fire and he is going to be faced with the kind of resistance that his government has never witnessed nor experienced. There is going to be a series of resistance. There are some things you will not touch. We would have thought that Akufo-Addo will stay on his manifesto promises which he has so far failed to deliver on. The abysmal performance that he has so far exhibited,” he said.
He added that the minority has formed an alliance with other groups of people and individuals outside parliament to fight against the government’s plans.
Ablakwa said, “I can announce to you that we are forming a coalition of not only Ghanaians in the minority, but Ghanaians who feel insulted, who will not accept this sacrilegious attempt to obliterate and desecrate our history. We are mobilizing and you will hear from us soon.”
The minority is among the groups challenging the government’s decision to amend the act. Some have said that the move will distort the country’s history.
Meanwhile, Host of Good Evening Ghana TV Show, Paul Adom Otchere, believes that the move by the government is a step in the right direction and will help better unite the country.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday he said many people who played various roles in Ghana’s independence struggle needed to be equally celebrated hence his belief that the proposed August 4 Holiday for Founders’ day is necessary.
“I think it is a good idea. It’s been long coming because anyone who has closely studied political history in Gold Coast and in Ghana will realize that a series of events occurred that eventually culminated in the independence event that occurred in 1957. History has not been kind, fair or just to those who laid the foundation, even the academic foundation, the physical and social foundation for the stimulation of our people towards the independence agenda,” he said.
Source: Citi News
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Ghana is billion years away from sanity. What will a holiday do for the people of Ghana. unnecessary waste of time. All these holidays shd be cancelled. We shd focus on things that will improve the lives of our people. I cannot think far. We have to emancipate ourselves from st.upi..dity. Gyimiee no d)))so and its nauseating. Africa is soo behind that I really think the devil created us.
PLEASE WHAT IS THE MEANING OF "FOUNDER?"
STOP FOOLING OK GHANA WAS FOUND BY THE BIG SIX SO JUST ***barred word***.
I think what govt has done esp with respect to founders' day is right.Ghana can never have one person as A founder, no way! I have never understood what triggered NDC to come up with that idea(founder's day) Nkrumah even came to the scene on the invitation of others meaning the fight for independence started way before him. no one can dispute the fact that he finally got the independent for us and so we can do sth special in his honor such as declaring national holiday on his birthday. why should people make noise about this arrangement?
Massa comot for there we know the true twisters of our history. Where was Nkrumah when when the struggles started? You can bring back Nkrumah from the death to come and challenge this decision it wil be FOUNDERS' DAY not FOUNDER'S DAY. Apuuuuuuuu!
Massa, where in our history is it written that only Nkrumah fought for independence from 1844 till 1957? Eh show Ghanaians. Definitely some people started it and he finalized it. No one can take it away from him but let's acknowledge and reward those who started and held the fort till he joined. No one is rewriting our history. It is the distortion by the likes of Mr Pratt and his cohorts that is being corrected. The hypocrisy in this country is too much. Yes Nkrumah was our independent hero but there were other hero's before him. Let's celebrate all our patriots from north to south, east to west.
SEE HIS TEETH
Ever since I read "The Life and Times of J. B. Danquah" in 1979 when I was in secondary school form 3, I felt injustice has been done to many freedom fighters in Ghana. A whole series of events took place in the then Gold Coast before Nkrumah was invited to joins others. For the invitee to become the sole hero is simply unfair! The propagandists of the CPP over-hyped Nkrumah to a state of super human. It is only by divine intervention that this is happening today. The Kwesi Pratts and the Ablakwas can still be in their states of slumber. They should rather reserve their energies to face the Special Prosecutor.
The history of Ghana was rather twisted to favor only one person. How can Nkrumah be the only founder of Ghana. Struggle for independence was initiated before Nkrumah was brought in. Why do you want to Credit Nkrumah alone while other people started the independence struggle before he was brought in by JB Danquah. Nkrumah turning Ghana into a one party state was the wicked and craziest thing he did.